Believe in Me
by kiriHa1367
Summary: I should not have taken that hand. If I hadn't, you wouldn't be hurt now. EijiXOC.


_**Believe in Me**_

I was always alone.

I never had friends.

Mom and Dad said I didn't need one.

Children like me need no friends.

In the end, I'll just hurt them.

Just like how I would eventually hurt Mom and Dad.

They say I mustn't be cruel.

They say I mustn't be selfish.

That's why I mustn't have any friends.

But I was so alone.

I was terribly sad.

"Who are you?" A little boy asked me. I studied his face. He wasn't like me. His eyes were bright and lively. Unlike my eyes which were blank and lifeless. His complexion was fair. Unlike mine which was pale.

"Who are you?" He asked again.

"Natsumi."

"Natsumi?" Then, he smiled. "That's a cute name!" He said. "Mine's Eiji." I saw him raised his right hand in front of me.

I looked at it for a moment then said, "What is that?"

"A handshake? Don't you know?"

I shook my head.

"A handshake is shared between two people who wanted to be friends with each other. Whenever you meet a new friend, you should always shake hands. That is a sign of friendship." He explained eagerly.

I looked at his hand again. I was about to accept it when I remembered what my Mom and my Dad said. _Children like me need no friends. In the end, I'll just hurt them. Just like how I would eventually hurt Mom and Dad._ I pulled back my hand and shook my head.

"No, Eiji-kun. We cannot be friends."

His smile faded. "But why? Don't you want to become my friend?"

I looked at his eyes. It seemed that he was hurt with what I said. I felt sad seeing those eyes. "Mom and Dad said I needed no friends. Because I will just hurt them. Just like how I will eventually hurt them."

He looked confused. "I cannot see any reason for you to hurt anybody."

I still shook my head no.

"Believe in me, Natsumi-chan. You'll hurt no one, not even me. Not now, not tomorrow, not forever. Just believe in me, okay?" He said as he raised his hand again. His words were so warm. I slowly raised my hand and closed it with his hands.

"See? No one got hurt. Now, we'll be friends forever and forever." He smiled happily.

His hand was so warm in mine. I felt so comfortable. I felt so glad. All those years of sadness seemed to have swept away by the touch of his hands. Finally, I was able to smile. A true and genuine smile.

_**-Twelve years later-**_

I used to be alone.

I used to have no one to rely on.

But because I believed I started to feel happiness.

But with that, I also realized what my Mom and my Dad said years ago.

If I hadn't extended my hand for that handshake years ago, this wouldn't be happening.

"I'm sorry." I said as tears started to stream down my cheeks.

He smiled at me, just like how he smiled at me twelve years ago. "Why are you saying sorry? And why are you even crying?" He said as he wiped the tears off my cheek.

"I'm sorry." I said again not being able to stop my tears.

He shook his head as he continued to smile with all his might. "No. There's nothing to say sorry for. It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault." He held my hand in his. The warm of those hands never dissipated through all those years I've been holding them. It never faded. Not even now.

"I should have listened to Mom and Dad. If I did, you wouldn't be hurt like this. It's my fault."

"No it's not."

"But it was all…"

My words were cut short as his lips came in contact with mine. I closed my eyes feeling that warm love I always felt whenever those lips closed with mine. I tried to savor the last memory of that last kiss we shared.

He pulled back and rested his forehead on mine. My tears continued to flow desolately in my cheeks. He still smiled at me. "Remember, I told you before that you'll hurt no one, not even me. Not now, not tomorrow, not forever. Remember?"

"I remember." I said softly.

"And because you believe in me, everything went okay. You started to laugh. You started to be happy. You started to learn what life is. So please, Natsumi, continue to believe in me. Just believe in me and everything will be alright."

"But…"

He hushed me again. "No, Natsumi. You've been all alone because of your illness. You isolated yourself from everyone else because you're afraid of hurting them when you leave. But wouldn't it be the same as if you didn't live at all?" Then he smiled at me. "You look much more beautiful when you smile, when you laugh. So please, just believe in me and let me see that smile again."

I continued to cry miserably.

"Everything will be alright. Even when you leave, I promised everything will be alright. I promised." He said as he kissed my forehead. "Don't cry anymore. I don't want to see you crying like this."

I looked at him. In spite the fact that I'm already dying, he continued to smile warmly at me. As difficult as it is, I smiled back at him. I smiled as warm as I can manage for him.

"See? You look better when you smile."

I continued to smile at him and believe in him. He was my everything, That's why I never wanted to hurt him. I smiled and believed. With all my heart. And with the last bits of life in me, I told him the very last words I wanted to tell him.

"Eiji, I love you and thank you."

-FIN-

A/N: I wrote this while inside the analytical services laboratory. While in the midst of the smell of chloroform and BHA. While interpreting the data, the spectrophotometer gives me. I should be at home relishing Christmas but no. I'm here in the laboratory finishing the last parts of the project before the year ends. *wails loudly* Have to finish another report before the year ends. *wails again* Anyway, advanced merry Christmas guys! Hope you have a better Christmas than mine. *sings Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town*


End file.
